Page 32 of Trapped to Tame
Drax nodded, remembering when the former unit of the Dark Army they’d sent had returned to Kitore weeks after they’d left with the news that they’d been unable to enter the Underhill because there was nothing left of the portals at all.
‘I was as well,’ he admitted.
He looked back at Eve and Fie. His Brother was trying to engage her in conversation, but she was having none of it, giving him absent, one-word answers whilst staring at the meat cooking on the fire with longing.
She sighed and looked at Priest, daring to speak to him. ‘Are they not ready? They look ready.’
‘As if you’d know,’ Priest called over his shoulder. ‘When was the last time you even had rabbit?’
She shook her head. ‘Never, but it smells delicious.’
Priest looked shocked. ‘Never?’
‘Beef?’ Fie asked.
She shook her head. ‘I … they never gave me meat,’ she said.
Priest, Drax and Fie all looked at her with varying degrees of shock. Meat was a staple in every fae’s diet. To not have any at all was tantamount to starvation.
‘None?’ Fie asked, sounding horrified.
She shook her head.
‘What did you eat then?’
She shrugged. ‘Whatever I was given. Bread, cheese, nuts, sometimes apples when they were in season.’
Priest stomped across their camp in a huff, but in this case, he was all bluster. He took one of their tin plates, threw one of the rabbits on it, and handed it to her.
‘Gods, woman, fucking eat.’
She took it with obvious glee, shaking slightly as she tore at the flesh, stuffing it into her mouth even though it was steaming and clearly much too hot. She gave a moan of appreciation that had Drax’s cock hardening.
He shook his head. He usually had no trouble separating mission from leisure, but it was becoming more and more difficult.
The others received their dinners and ate in silence. It was dark by the time they were finished and that was when they heard something rustling in the forest close by.
Eve stood up immediately, her plate dropping to the ground empty but for a pile of bones. She'd eaten every piece of flesh, even sucked the marrow out.
‘What was that?’ she asked, unable to keep the fear from her tone.
‘Nothing to worry about,’ Drax said vaguely. ‘Just stay inside the circle of stones.’
Something else rustled to the other side of them and she turned. There was nothing there.
‘What is it?’ she asked.
Drax stood beside her. ‘Dark Realm creatures. Wraiths probably. They’re fucking everywhere these days.’
At her blank expression, Priest elaborated. ‘They look like shadows until they feed. Then they turn solid-ishas they suck the very life essence from you.’
Eve’s eyes widened.
‘Youhaveheard of the other realms, haven’t you?’ Priest asked impatiently. ‘Gods, it's like trying to instruct a child. How are you my Fourth?’
Eve turned her hard gaze on him, her eyes narrowing. ‘I am not simple,’ she growled. ‘I am not a child. I'm not a fool.’ She practically bared her teeth at him. ‘And I am not yours.’
Priest’s face emulated hers, and he stood, stalking towards her. She held her ground though Drax could feel her fear rising.
